Ch 4. Choosing and Supporting the Youth Leaders

This chapter helps us to consider who becomes a leader, how that leader is supported, and what that leader can be doing or him/herself in self care.

Look around your church and see who it is that is involved in youth ministry. For most of us, that person who is leading the youth ministry is someone from inside the church family, and is most likely doing this as a volunteer. And in most places, that is OK. But even volunteer leaders need to be given some training and guidance so they know what they are doing; and so they know that what they are doing is supported by the elders of the church. 

In most cases in the research, members of the youth leadership team are people who have grown too old to attend youth group themselves. Now, in most cases, that’s fine. Those young adults who have outgrown the youth space in your church are prime candidates to be youth leaders. They know the church and the community; they know the families; they know how things work in that church; they are often ready and willing to be involved. Great.

But consider this – do the teenagers in your church just assume that they will become youth leaders when they are 18 or 21? Do they believe that their age is enough to make them leaders? I ask because in one place that was a part of this study, this was the implicit expectation (p27). Obviously, I don’t think anyone should become a leader just because they are too old for youth group. There is much more required than that. 

Here’s something else to consider. Youth from the church becoming leaders bring enormous strengths which I’ve already listed. But there could also be some unexpected weaknesses.

“We noted in the research that most youth leaders were carrying on the practices that they had experienced within their church. They, they were not approaching the task innovatively or creatively, or in a way that adequately took into account the changing needs of each generation of youth.” (p27)

How can we work around this potential problem? 

Training

I’m a little disturbed that many leaders interviewed “did not feel the need for training”. We all want to do our best, and most of us think we are doing all right. But that can certainly be enhanced with some effective training. This doesn’t mean doing a Bachelor of Ministry – although that’s not the worst suggestion. Training can be short term or even occasional, but there should be some training.

“It would seem that the development of the expectation that youth leaders would do some training, if only a few days of intensives, would strengthen the confidence of youth leaders and enhance the equality of leadership.” (p29)

Can I encourage to have a look at https://pyv.org.au/training/pyv-training-events-recordings.html and make use of these. 

Also, I will be teaching a short course at the Presbyterian Theological College in Melbourne starting late July 2016. Leave a message for me if you would like to know more about that. 

Payment

How many youth leaders get paid anything? Very few is the general answer. Most churches will struggle to find the funds to pay for a full-time youth worker, and many other churches will struggle to believe they should. I would (perhaps naturally) encourage churches to make some payment to the youth leaders. 

The most disturbing comment on paying youth leaders is this: “In a number of churches, young people said that paid people might not be motivated in the same way as volunteers, and, by implication, said that paid employees might not be as passionate about youth ministry.” (p29) Before I stand up to give a list of reasons why this is wrong, the authors of the research make this helpful comment: “There is no evidence that such remuneration reduced passion.” I agree.

Support

Most youth leaders – especially the paid ones – can tell you about the time they were verbally stripped down by either a parent, an elder or a senior pastor. And if not that, they can certainly tell you the times and places they felt completely unsupported. 

Senior pastors, you are the greatest source of strength and support to your youth leaders. Even if you don’t attend the youth group very often, I urge you to please meet with and encourage your youth leaders. 

Youth leaders, if you are looking for more support and don’t know where to go, send me an email and I’ll come and meet with you or do what I can to support you. You might feel alone, but you’re not really. 

Finally, the authors close this chapter with a section on Self-Care.

Self-Care

People burn out. People who work with people burn out quicker. Youth leadership can be very demanding and the load can be heavy and slippery. So, even where there is good support from others, taking care of yourself also matters. One aspect to this is setting some solid and appropriate boundaries.

“No one has the capacity for deep and intimate relationships with everyone. One needs to be clear about how much time to spend and where to spend it with those who come for help.” (p31)

Serving Jesus is fantastic, but serving Jesus can also come at a cost. Serving Jesus doesn’t take away the reality that we are still human and need to rest. We also need places where we can just enjoy being with people without being the person in charge. And it’s probably good to have something to do that is separate from your youth work. If you’re an introvert, then you will need to be extra careful about the amount of time you spend with people. 

Practicing good self-care contributes to faithful and effective ministry.

Christian Research Association have released the findings from research done on youth ministry in Australia. The book is titled "A Vision for Effective Youth Ministry".

There is much in this research which all pastors, both youth and senior, should take seriously. In this series of posts, I hope to give a brief summary of each chapter. Of course, you will be much better off if you purchase the book yourself.

Ch 3. Building the Youth Ministry Team

Christian Research Association have released the findings from research done on youth ministry in Australia. The book is titled "A Vision for Effective Youth Ministry".

There is much in this research which all pastors, both youth and senior, should take seriously. In this series of posts, I hope to give a brief summary of each chapter. Of course, you will be much better off if you purchase the book yourself.

Building the Youth Ministry Team

Previous blogs have shown my thoughts on chapters 1 & 2. Now we come to the issue of the ministry team. Here the authors helpfully distinguish between a solo leader and a team – and it is a team that matters. As Mark Devries says, “looking for the ‘superstar’ youth minister does not help build long-term sustainable youth ministries.” Abandoning the search for the superstar also helps us to widen our consideration of the age of youth leaders. My experience is that being a youth leader in my 40’s was much easier than being a youth leader in my 20’s. Feel free to ask me why that might be the case. (A special shout out to the team I worked with at Surrey Hills Presbyterian Church.)

So what are the qualities for youth leadership? The research from CRA lists these five:

   1. Caring for Kids, Communicating Well, Building Trust and Appropriate Relationships

What do young people want? They want leaders who are friendly, engaging and easy to talk to, people who are empathetic, patient and helpful. They also want leaders who are fun to be with and, perhaps not surprisingly, fairly close to their own age.

“The heart of youth leadership is the development of good relationships with the youth.” 

Absolutely. If you want to know more about that, read this

(A Root – Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry). But these relationships need to have some boundaries, and it is always the responsibility of the youth minister to set those boundaries. Always!

2. Loving Jesus and Living the Christian Life while Open to Questions

A strong and vibrant faith is an essential quality of an effective youth leader. We would all agree with this, and I hope that you are setting a good example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus. At the same time, how are you helping youth to work through the questions of faith that they have? And the research suggests this is something we’re not doing as well as we thing we might be.

“One of the concerns that arose from our research was that the faith of the young youth leaders, while passionate, was sometimes narrow and naïve.”

Please keep growing in your own faith while you are helping others in theirs.

3. Building Bridges between the Youth, Church and Parents

Youth leaders, this is what you are. You are a bridge. So be a good one. For those of us over 40, we have an advantage over our younger peers because we have a stronger connection with parents simply because of our age. This means you can have a much greater impact in youth ministry than you might first think possible.

Building these bridges, regardless of your age, means there are – and should be – intergenerational activities in which parents and other people from the church are involved. Some churches do better with this than others, and The Salvation Army gets a good comment on this.

4. Being Flexible, Multi-skilled, and Well Organised

You need to be flexible. If something isn’t working at your youth group, change it. Now. Immediately. We don’t need to be critical of the teenagers who approach youth group like everything else in life – as consumers who continually evaluate what is on offer. This is what they naturally do. Make the changes in your program as you need to. (Please keep in mind what I wrote last week on this point too. Different youth connect with faith in different ways. Are you giving them any options?)

Parents appreciate good communication. You can test that comment in your church, or you can learn from the mistakes of others and just believe it to be true.

5. Engaging with and Networking in the Wider Community

Most of us who serve as youth leaders have grown up in the church and are part of church families. This is not a bad thing, but it often means that many of us don’t have strong networks in the community outside the church. But, if the church exists for those who are not part of it, is not this also true of youth ministry? (p24)

Conclusion

These five qualities are important to have in your team, but individual leaders will have different strengths and skills. When each team member is communicating well with each other, and each is using their skills, you are on the way to having a great impact where you are.

Ch 2. Variety in the Expression of Faith

Christian Research Association have released the findings from research done on youth ministry in Australia. The book is titled "A Vision for Effective Youth Ministry".
There is much in this research which all pastors, both youth and senior, should take seriously. In this series of posts, I hope to give a brief summary of each chapter. Of course, you will be much better off if you purchase the book yourself.

Variety in the Expression of Faith

“In the 21 case studies in our research across several denominations, there has been a remarkable similarity in the patterns of youth ministry and the ways faith has been expressed.”

I can’t argue with the research, but knowing that different church tribes have different emphases, it is a little surprising that youth ministry across the churches is much the same. But should it be? CRA use four characters to show different ways people express and grow in faith. How many of these are in your group now? (How many will there be in a few years time?)

The Nerd

This shouldn’t be seen as an unkind title. Rather, they use this to refer to those teenagers who just enjoy exploring the meaning of faith mentally. These people enjoy Bible study and the discussions that go along with that.

The Drama Kid

This teenager is one who enjoys the emotional expression found in music and in drama. They might not easily connect with an in-depth Bible study, but give them the opportunity to express faith in a worship service and they come alive.

The Practical Helper

For these people, their focus is on action: helping other people and doing their part to make the world a better place. CRA comment that these people might not come to church so often, but give them a project to do, and a place to help someone, and they will be there.

The Party Animal

Perhaps not the most helpful of titles, but you probably know this person. This is someone who greatly values church because of the people they meet there. And before we jump too quickly to doubt their faith, consider this: it is within the community that they learn how to live in a Christian way.

So, here are four different kinds of people, and we could describe them as people for whom the mind, the heart, the will, and the interaction are most poignant in their lives (p15). What do we do with such a mixed bag of people in our youth groups and the wider church?

A Vision for Effective Youth Ministry p17

Here I will put my tribal hat on. In my tribe – Presbyterian – the ones who fit best are the nerds. But it seems we are not alone. Most youth leaders surveyed would seem to fit into the nerd category as well. Which then raises some interesting questions about how to connect with the rest of the youth that we have the chance to minister to. How do we help those who enjoy the ‘experience’ to have a firm foundation? How do we lead the practical person to know Jesus well enough that they can help someone in Jesus’ name? How do we help the socialite find their greatest love in Jesus rather than depending just on the people around them? How can I do that if I, as a nerd, have no idea what it is like to actually enjoy worship physically?

CRA are, I think, on to something worrying when they write the following paragraph (p17):

“Perhaps a selection process has been in place over generations. Those who have enjoyed church activities have continued going. Those who have found them less meaningful have drifted away. The youth leaders are, in fact, products of this selection process: people who have not drifted away.”

We want people to read and to understand the Bible. We want to help them to be able to apply the teachings of the Bible to their own lives, and we want our leaders to be well trained and that normally means they will be well educated. That’s all true. But what about those who don’t read much? Do we just abandon them?

I found this comment very uncomfortable (p17):

Implicitly, many churches are saying that to be a good Christian one must be a particular type of person, the sort of person who is highly literate, enjoys a particular style of music and is willing to sing in public.

If that is true, what are we saying to the vast majority of teenagers who do not fit into this mold?

 

Ch 1. What Should Youth Ministry Be Doing?

Christian Research Association have released the findings from research done on youth ministry in Australia. The book is titled "A Vision for Effective Youth Ministry".
There is much in this research which all pastors, both youth and senior, should take seriously. In this series of posts, I hope to give a brief summary of each chapter. Of course, you will be much better off if you purchase the book yourself.

What should youth ministry be doing?

I have many answers to this question, but I will limit myself to what this book reports.

After a few pages laying out the scene for young people in Australia, the authors cut to the chase and show us what they believe youth ministry should be. In the second paragraph on page 4 they give three directives:

1. providing a context for the development of the spirit
2. helping young people to create meaning and find purpose in their lives, to develop motivations for and ways of meeting life's challenges, and encouraging commitment to life's goals.
3. providing a context in which young people can develop the capacity for good relationships with themselves, with close others, with the wider society, with the natural environment and with God.

Many of my peers would probably look at this and think this is lacking a strong evangelical edge. While I would probably agree with them, this comment from the authors helps to guide the reader:

. .. the religious faith needs to be interwoven with the realities of society, with its expectations and responsibilities. 

Many of us who serve as youth leaders in the evangelical & reformed part of the church have an idea of what we hope the youth will be when they become adults - strong disciples of Jesus Christ. But we don't often give thought to the starting point of these same young people. CRA take some time to suggest three pictures of different starting points.

The Fun and Friend Seeker

You know those teenagers who don't seem interested in anything at church that you are promoting? Those young people who only respond when you suggest something fun? This is that group. And we can't change them quickly, if we need to change them at all. But if you are part of a small church, it can be a real struggle to keep young people interested when the big church or other clubs always seem to have bigger and better activities.

I think we have the greatest message that teenagers will ever hear, and most of them won't be hearing it at school or at Hoyts. But if we make it really dull and boring, then we shouldn't be surprised that they look bored and stop coming along. Two suggestions are made on building connections with the fun seekers. Big events and food.

Big events are places where you can be anonymous while checking out what's going on. It might be a youth camp, Christian Youth Convention, or even a local churches event, but it's a place where people can come along and join in. It's a place to start.

And who doesn't love food? There are a lot of conversations that happen while people are eating together, whether it's a proper meal, supper snacks, or even if you are making pizza together. It's a fun way to make connections.

The challenge, as the writers point out, is to provide pathways for further steps in the development of the spirit.

Taking Life More Seriously

These teenagers might still enjoy some fun, but they have also recognised that there is more to life than fun and games. They want to explore some of the deeper issues of life, and those who are coming to church youth groups are looking for more information about the Christian faith. But it isn't limited to discussions. Many are looking to solve some of life's problems. Examples are given of those involved in a school trip to Cambodia to help build housing, or of getting involved with a soup kitchen in the city. How are you teaching your youth to take the issues of social justice seriously?

Here's an interesting observation. All youth leaders say they are open to questions about faith. (If you're not, then please go and do something else.) But most will say they are not asked many questions. Here's another quote:

One church had developed a strong ethos of being open to all sorts of questions. It is probably  not a coincidence that it was in that church we met the young person who said he was there to ask questions about the Christian faith. p7

What kind of culture are you developing in your youth ministry?

Churched Youth and Their Friends

The overwhelming majority of those involved in church based youth groups were young people who had grown up in families who attended the church. That's probably not surprising. Here they are meeting with friends they are already connected to, and here is a safe place for them as Christians to talk about life issues. For those attending state schools, youth group might be the only safe place they can do this.

But, like all things, there is a dark side. Consider this comment, "some of the young people in the youth groups said that they really did not want their non-churched friends to come." Does this conflict with the message from the leaders who keep urging them to bring those friends along? How do you resolve this?

This group of churched youth are further divided into three sub-groups (there's a lot of 'threes' in this chapter.)

1. A devotional faith. These teenagers appreciate the focus on faith and that there are leaders who take an interest in their spiritual lives. They enjoy the small groups where they can discuss faith, scripture, and the connection with their everyday life. They enjoy seeing that God is a part of their lives.
2. An owned faith. Teenagers want to take things seriously, but they can't - and won't - just pretend. They don't just want to inherit faith, they want it to be their own. So how do we help youth to own it for themselves? "In some places we gained the impression that the youth leaders were imparting their understanding, but not giving much space for the independent exploration of faith by the young people themselves." 
3. An applied faith. Leaders will surely want to help teenagers apply faith to all aspects of life. Or at least, we might assume that. For sure, there are those who are considering life choices in accord with their faith, but it would seem that there are many others who are not. "Many of them saw their career as something quite separate from their faith." 

Conclusion

 There is much more in the report than just what I have reported here, and I hope to write more in the days and weeks to come. But even in the first chapter those involved in ministry to youth and young people will find a lot to chew over.

• How do you connect with the fun seeker and those who want to take life more seriously? 
• How do you help those in the church invite their non-churched friends?
• What space are you giving young people to ask big questions?
• How will you help people connect faith to the whole of their lives?

Keep with me and I'll tell you some more.